Firebrand Duterte wins Philippine presidential election

Noel Celis, AFP| Philippine President-elect Rodrigo Duterte during a press conference on election day, May 9, 2016.

2016-05-10

Anti-establishment firebrand Rodrigo Duterte was set to secure a huge win in Monday's Philippine presidential elections, according to a poll monitor, after an incendiary campaign dominated by his profanity-laced vows to kill criminals.

Duterte, the longtime mayor of the southern city of Davao, hypnotised millions with his vows of brutal but quick solutions to the nation’s twin plagues of crime and poverty, which many believed had worsened despite strong economic growth in recent years.

And after a record turnout of voters in Monday’s elections, Duterte scored a commanding victory, according to data released by the PPCRV, a Catholic Church-run poll monitor accredited by the government to tally the votes.

With 88 percent of the vote counted early on Tuesday morning, Duterte had an insurmountable lead of 5.84 million votes over his nearest rival, administration candidate Mar Roxas, according to the data.

“It’s with humility, extreme humility, that I accept this, the mandate of the people,” Duterte told AFP as the results came in.

“What I can promise you is that I will do my very best not just in my waking hours but even in my sleep.”

Duterte had 38.6 percent of the vote, with Roxas on 23.12 percent and Senator Grace Poe in third with 21.76 percent, according to PPCRV.

Poe, the adopted daughter of movie stars, had already conceded just after midnight on Tuesday.

“As a staunch supporter of electoral reform, I have a firm belief in the voice and sentiment of our people. I honour the result of our elections,” Poe told reporters in Manila.

“I congratulate Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and pledge my support in working to heal our land and to unite our people toward the continued development of our country.”

In the Philippines, a winner is decided simply by whomever gets the most votes.

Threats to kill

Duterte, a pugnacious 71-year-old, surged from outsider to the top of surveys with cuss-filled vows to kill tens of thousands of criminals, threats to establish one-man rule if lawmakers disobeyed him and promises to embrace communist rebels.

He also boasted repeatedly about his Viagra-fuelled affairs, while promising voters his mistresses would not cost a lot because he kept them in cheap boarding houses and took them to short-stay hotels for sex.

Duterte caused further disgust in international diplomatic circles with a joke that he wanted to rape a “beautiful” Australian missionary who was killed in a 1989 Philippine prison riot, and by calling the pope a “son of a whore”.

Departing President Benigno Aquino, whose mother led the democracy movement that ousted Ferdinand Marcos three decades ago, had warned repeatedly the nation was at risk of succumbing to another dictatorship.

“I need your help to stop the return of terror in our land. I cannot do it alone,” Aquino said in an appeal to voters in a final rally on Saturday in Manila for Roxas, his preferred successor and fellow Liberal Party stalwart.

In his final rally on Saturday, Duterte repeated to tens of thousands of cheering fans his plans to end crime within six months of starting his presidency.

“Forget the laws on human rights,” said Duterte, who has been accused of running vigilante death squads in Davao.

“If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, hold-up men and do-nothings, you better go out. Because as the mayor, I’d kill you.”

Elite rule

Aquino, who is limited by the constitution to a single term of six years, had overseen average annual economic growth of six percent and won international plaudits for trying to tackle corruption.

However, his critics said he had done little to change an economic model that favours an extraordinarily small number of families that control nearly all key industries, and has led to one of Asia’s biggest rich-poor divides.

This criticism hurt Roxas, a member of the wealthy classes widely seen by many as lacking empathy for the poor.

Another key message of Duterte’s campaign was his pledge to take on the elite, even though his vice presidential running mate was from one of the nation’s richest and most powerful families.

Poe had seen her popularity slide after critics pointed to her taking US citizenship then later giving it up.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, the early favourite, was in a distant fourth place, according to the poll monitor, after crumbling under the weight of a barrage of corruption allegations.

In an intriguing sub-plot, former dictator Marcos’s son and namesake had a slight lead in the race to be elected vice president, according to the poll monitor, which would cement a remarkable political comeback for his family.

(AFP)

NASA’s Kepler telescope confirms a record-breaking 1,284 new planets

By Rachel Feltman-May 10 at 2:50 PM

NASA scientists announced 1,284 new exoplanets at a news conference on Tuesday — candidates found by the Kepler Space Telescope that have now been confirmed with 99 percent certainty. This is the largest dump of new planet discoveries in history, and it more than doubles the count of confirmed planets for the intrepid space telescope.

[These three Earth-like planets may be our best chance yet at detecting life]

On Monday, earthlings watched as Mercury passed between our planet and the sun, all three celestial bodies lining up in just the right way for Mercury to appear as a small black dot creeping over our bright host star. That phenomenon — one planet passing in front of its star, from the visual perspective of another planet — is known as a “transit.” And that’s how Kepler finds new, alien worlds.

This animation shows how NASA's Kepler Space Telescope has been able to detect more than a thousand new planets. (Youtube/NASA's Ames Research Center)

Kepler (which is technically broken, but still finds new planets in its second life as “K2”) tracks the subtle dimming of distant stars to detect possible planets that orbit them. It’s our best method for detecting exoplanets, even though it can only hunt down worlds that are set up to “transit” from Earth’s perspective.

[This broken space telescope keeps spotting new planets]

Even though the data collection of the K1 mission is over, scientists are still working on parsing out the primary mission’s data. They have to weed out false positives from the thousands of potential planets — star dimming actually caused by mischievous companion stars or other objects:

(W. Stenzel/NASA Ames)

In a paper published Tuesday in the Astrophysical Journal, a team led by Princeton University’s Timothy Morton presents a new statistical method for calculating the likelihood that a given candidate is, in fact, a planet. Their analysis yielded 1,284 confirmations. Another 1,327 planets from the Kepler catalogue are almost certainly planets, according to the researchers, but these worlds don't reach the 99 percent probability threshold — so more study will be needed to adequately confirm their existence. The other 707 potential worlds are likely nonexistent, according to the analysis.

Of the newly confirmed planets, nine are thought to be rocky planets (like Earth, as opposed to gas giants or tiny worlds made of ice) in the habitable zone — meaning that they’re the right distance from their host stars to potentially host liquid water, a necessary ingredient for life as we know it.

[This strange, tailless comet could teach us about Earth’s origins]

“Planet candidates can be thought of like bread crumbs,” Morton said in a statement. “If you drop a few large crumbs on the floor, you can pick them up one by one. But, if you spill a whole bag of tiny crumbs, you’re going to need a broom. This statistical analysis is our broom.”

The statistical method could allow scientists to decide which “planets” to set aside as false positives or doggedly pursue as potential sites for alien life using less time and fewer resources.

“They say not to count your chickens before they’re hatched, but Tim’s numbers allow us to do exactly that,” Natalie Batalha, Kepler mission scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center, said during Tuesday’s news conference. “This is going to be very important for Kepler’s most valuable planet discoveries, those small planets found orbiting in the habitable zone.”

[Scientists have a wild idea for hiding us from evil aliens]

As of today, NASA knows of 21 exoplanets that it considers likely to be rocky, potentially wet worlds. And based on Kepler data, Batalha said, our galaxy probably has more than 10 billion rocky planets that live in the habitable zones of their stars. 

That’s a lot of Earths.

Before Kepler, we had no idea of how common these kinds of planets might be. The fact that they seem to be run-of-the-mill is great news in the search for life: The less special we are, the more likely we are to have company somewhere in the galaxy or beyond.

Scientists could further explore the habitability of these worlds by measuring the way their host stars’ light changes as it passes through planetary atmospheres. The molecular signatures analyzed using this method could reveal the presence of water and other life-giving molecules, showing us which worlds are closest to Earth on the planetary family tree.

Read More:

It turns out this planet has three suns in its sky

Uranus might be full of surprises

The new biggest thing in the universe, and why it’s a headache for scientists

The hunt for extraterrestrials turns to the ‘dim bulbs of the universe’

The most likely theories about where ‘Planet Nine’ came from are still pretty crazy

Ginger Side Effects And Who Must Not Consume it?

 April 29, 2016 

Side Effects of Ginger

Ginger has been used for more than 5000 years for cooking and as a medicine in many Asian countries because of its potent benefits. It is currently one of the most widely used herbs worldwide. According to ayurvedic traditions, ginger is considered to be the most ‘sattvic’ of spices and is one of the most essential herbs. It is considered Katu-rasam (bitter taste), Ushna-veeryam (hot potency), Vata-kapha-har-prabhavam (blemish correcting effect on air and phlegm), Katu-vipakam (pungent after-effect), Laghu-snigdha-gunam (mild and unctuous property) and is valuable as a suppressant and remedy for ‘Kapha and Vatta’disorders. Ginger if taken in large quantities can cause heartburn, gas, bloating, nausea or stomach distress.

Ginger is called as Vishava-bheshaj (the universal medicine) and Maha-aushadhi (wide-spectrum medicine). The concept of digestive and metabolic fire (agni) is very central to Ayurveda. If food is properly processed and digested, it will not create toxins in the body, called Ama. Even if ‘ama’ is created, it can be destroyed by ‘agni’ which can be obtained from ginger in a medicinal manner. Ayurveda considers ginger as a pungent herb, its dose not have the strong, concentrated irritant pungency of chilli, but is irritant enough to wake the blood vessels. Even, in traditional Chinese medicine, ginger is famed for its use of removing toxins. It is used as an antidote for poisoning from food, drugs or other herbs.

But can a herb so potent have side-effects? The answer is yes, in fact herbalists advise not to take more than 4 grams of ginger in a single day. Ginger if taken in large quantities can cause heartburn, gas, bloating, nausea or stomach distress because it reinforces warfarin action by heterogeneous mechanisms. It may increase the risk of bleeding or possibly potentiate the effects of warfarin therapy, especially when taken in a powdered form.

[Read: Is Ginger Garlic Paste Good For Your Health?]

Who should not consume ginger?

People with Ulcers/Inflammation

Unchewed fresh ginger may cause intestinal blockage, and individuals who have had ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease or blocked intestines may react badly to large quantities of fresh ginger.

People with Gallstones

Ginger can adversely affect individuals with gallstones. Ginger is contraindicated in people suffering from gallstones, because it promotes the production of bile.

People with Bleeding disorders

Ginger stimulates circulation and increases blood flow while preventing blood clotting. It could increase risk of bleeding, especially if you have a bleeding disorder or are taking any medications that slow blood clotting.

Pregnant Women

Pregnant women should also be careful with ginger as it may cause uterine contractions. It has also been shown to interfere with the absorption of dietary iron and fat-soluble vitamins. It is recommended that you consult an herbalist or a licensed healthcare professional before using ginger as a supplement or in your diet. Drinking ginger tea is especially not recommended in the final weeks of pregnancy due to the increased bleeding risk.

Pre-surgery

According to an article published in “Der Anaesthesist” in 2007, consuming ginger around the time of surgery is also a risk for increased bleeding. If undergoing surgery, you should avoid drinking ginger tea within the two weeks prior to it.

[Read: Refreshing Ginger Iced Tea To Counter Inflammation]

Reactive to certain drugs

Speak with your doctor before drinking ginger tea if you’re on any medication, since it interacts with certain drugs. It should also not be used by patients who take anticoagulant, barbiturates, beta-blockers, insulin medications or those who are on anti-platelet therapy. According to MedlinePlus, a medical service of the National Institutes on Health, ginger can interact with numerous other drugs like antacids which can be affected by ginger, stimulating the stomach’s production of acid. Ginger can also affect medications for the heart, antihistamines, cancer treatments and weight loss drugs.

Possible herb interactions

Ginger also interacts with herbs that stimulate blood flow and slow blood clotting, which includes clove, garlic, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, turmeric, angelica. Combining ginger with these herbs could increase your risk of bleeding.

Suppress Appetite

A pilot study published in “Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental” in 2012 found that ginger reduced appetite and increased feelings of satiety in overweight men. The study researchers suspect that ginger’s ability to modulate concentrations of the hormone serotonin may play a role in suppressing appetite. 

Because it’s a pilot study, however, more research is needed to validate these results. If you’re trying to gain weight, be aware that drinking ginger tea may potentially reduce your appetite.

Diabetes/High BP

Avoid mixing ginger tea with blood-thinning medications, such as warfin and aspirin. Ginger may lower blood sugar and blood pressure, so speak with your doctor if you’re taking medication for diabetes or high blood pressure because you may not need as much if you drink ginger tea regularly.

Many of these side effects can be avoided by taking ginger supplements in capsules, such as enteric-coated capsules, which delay the body’s digestion of the herb until it enters the digestive tract. But, ginger when consumed in reasonable quantities has few negative side effects and is on the FDA’s “generally recognized as safe” list. There have been instances where herbal/health supplements have been sold which were contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Thus, herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination.

By Rachelle Chandraan

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OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT SIRISENA ON PROPOSED MISSING PERSONS OFFICE

(Disappearances in Sri Lanka (c)sunanada deshapriya)

H.E. President Maithripala Sirisena,-09/05/2016

We the undersigned wish to place on record the most urgent of our concerns and recommendations with respect to the proposed Office of Missing Persons (OMP), which we understand the government intends to establish in the near future. We strongly suggest that the Government rename the proposed Office as ‘Office of Missing and Forcibly Disappeared Persons’, so as to reflect accurately the mandate of the body. Further, we note with disappointment that the government has not yet shared its ideas for this mechanism with victims, civil society and the wider public. We therefore urge that it be done urgently.

We are also concerned about, and would like to draw the Government’s attention to continuing incidents of harassment and intimidation of victim families and activists that are not helpful in creating a conducive environment for public consultations or operationalization of the OMP mechanism. The continued use of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the lack of due process in carrying out arrests and resuming the use of white vans in the past month have heightened the sense of fear and insecurity among affected people.

Open Letter to President Sirisena on Proposed Missing Persons Office by Thavam Ratna

Going beyond the 13-A and towards cooperative devolution

May 8, 2016, 9:28 pm 

JRJ and Gandhi after signing the Indo-Lanka peace accord which led to the passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution

By Laksiri Fernando

Discussions have started on devolution and/or federalism in the context of constitutional reforms and the present is an attempt to clarify some of the important issues in the form of ‘questions and answers.’ The purpose is to deviate from abstract debates and bring concreate substance to the discussions as far as I can contribute, in the form of a series of relevant questions and answers thereto.

Question: What is meant by ‘going beyond the 13th Amendment’?

Answer: There are basically four things: (1) Reducing the concurrent list (2) eliminating the ambiguities between the national list and the provincial list (3) reducing the powers of the Governor and (4) creating a framework for making sufficient fiscal and administrative resources available to the provinces.

Question: Why not completely replace devolution and go for federalism?

Answer: Devolution is part of federalism. There is no one form of federalism but different forms. As Shakespeare said, ‘a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’ It is more appropriate to call the present or future system devolution, given its history and the form. We are evolving from a unitary state towards a more federal structure. Our evolution is devolution.

Question: Why should anyone qualify devolution as cooperative devolution? What does it mean?

Answer: It is similar to cooperative federalism. When I was studying in Canada in the mid-1970s, the concept evolved there. There are many books written on the subject. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (not Justin) started to meet with the state Premiers to sort out matters. His particular interest was to appease the rebellious Quebec. It worked. Thereafter concreate mechanisms were devised for cooperation.

In 1990/91 when the Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke wanted to pursue a national economic reform agenda he started to meet with the state Premiers. It partially worked. This cooperation is a practice continued even today. It is called cooperative or collaborative federalism. There can be mechanisms for cooperation.

Question: But what is its relevance to Sri Lanka?

Answer: Take a recent most example. Due to the ongoing high heat in the North Central Province they have decided to close the schools at 12 noon. But the central government ministry continues to have the national schools open as usual. On this smallest thing they cannot cooperate. This has created confusion among the citizens.

Not only that. The central ministry seems to dictate terms to the provincial ministry with an expert report! I am not saying whose view is correct. But wish to emphasize that there should be cooperation. The central government should not interfere. Provinces should also cooperate.

Question: The example can be just incidental, can’t it?

Answer: No. There are so many examples. Take the controversy about building 65,000 houses in the north and the east for displaced people for resettlement. Some people say the scheme is costly and steel houses are not suitable to the climate. I am not making a judgement on either. But what is apparent is that the central ministry has not consulted the provincial councils or the competent civil society organizations on the matter. The latter expressed concerns first, and then the provincial council jumped on the matter perhaps for political reasons.

This is what failed during the Rajapaksa regime. Northern provincial council elections were delayed. Through the Task Force, unilateral developments were undertaken perhaps some aspects not meeting the needs of the people. I am not discounting what was done. I think the Central Bank estimated that around US$ 3 billion was spent on resettlement, rehabilitation and development. That is great. But what is the point if the people are not satisfied. That is why cooperation is necessary for devolution and beyond.

We have to move from coercive or unilateral devolution to cooperative devolution.

Question: It was mentioned that the concurrent list should be reduced. What does it mean and can an example be given?

Answer: For example, school education should completely be a devolved function in my opinion. All schools from pre-schools to GCE A/L should come under the provincial councils. It would be a relief for the central government and an empowerment for the provincial councils. At present ‘national schools’ are under the central government. Education also appears in the concurrent list as sections 3 and 4 apart from the provincial list. This is out of 36 items or sections. These two sections should be taken out. This is an example of reducing the concurrent list.

Why? The reason is that when a matter is in the concurrent list the central government can encroach easily. This is against the principle of autonomy. I am not talking about complete or absolute autonomy but relative or necessary autonomy.

The school education should be guided under national policies, bench marks and curricular. In formulating national policies on school education, there should be center-periphery cooperation. Both the GCE O/L and A/L can be conducted by an institution like the National Institute of Education (NIE). It is true that in a proper federal system even such examinations are conducted by the states. But here we are talking about ‘devolution and provinces’ and not proper ‘federalism or states.’ The size of the country, proximity between the center and periphery and the stage of economic and social development are also reasons to have uniform senior school examinations. Different examination systems would not be useful.

Question: Some people say that concurrent list should be completely eliminated? Is this argument tenable?

Answer: One shouldn’t subscribe to that view. You cannot surgically separate government functions completely into central functions and provincial functions. It is artificial. It is also against the spirit of cooperative devolution.

However, one danger of a concurrent list is the tendency for a central government to take over the functions of that list. That should be prevented. That can be prevented in the constitution. Another preventive measure is the reduction of the concurrent list as I have suggested.

Another creative possibility is to have a ‘cooperative list’ instead or in addition to a concurrent list. To have in addition is a complicated matter because in a citizen friendly constitution the matters should not be so complicated. Normally matters come under a concurrent list when they overlap. But to be more positive or proactive, those are also the areas that cooperation is most necessary. Therefore, naming concurrent matters under a cooperative list is more logical and positive.

Question: Some people also say the residual powers also should be with the provinces. What are the residual powers?

Answer: Residual power normally means what is not listed or unknown at the time of constitution making. It can also be a device to keep the listing to a minimum, declaring the ‘residual power’ is with the center or the provinces.

Traditionally, if the residual power is with the states that is called a ‘full-federal’ system and if the residual power is with the center it is called a ‘semi-federal’ system. That is one reason why India is called semi-federal. However, this is not always the case. In Canada, residual powers go to the center but it is federal and not semi.

In a system of devolution, it is understood that ‘residual power’ is with the center, because the powers are devolved from the center. In our present constitution ‘all subjects and functions not specified in the provincial list or the concurrent list’ come under the reserved list for the center.

Question: Is it that full federalism is premature for Sri Lanka?

Answer: Yes, in a way yes. We have to build upon what we have now. It is also political realism consonant with normative principles on the matter. We have actually not properly implemented what we have. One reason was the continuation of the war until it ended in 2009 with much controversy. The other still remaining reason is the political controversies surrounding even on devolution. The latter is partly due to the ambiguities existing in the present constitution.

Although we call the change last year a ‘revolution’ it is not a revolution proper. It is so-called. We have to take an evolutionary path. That is the best, the safest and most practical. We should not fall back to an open conflict again.

We adopted the devolutionary model from India. It is akin to our ancient ‘Manda-la’ (center-periphery) system. Federalism, regional councils and then provincial councils were in our discussion agendas for a very long time. The Indian model is called semi or quasi-federal.

‘Federalism,’ ‘unitary-state’ or ‘devolution’ are all matters of degree. We should focus more on substance and purposes and not name boards. Let me quote Shakespeare again: ‘a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’

Absence of Tamil Cops is Main Reason for Rise in Crime in Jaffna

By P.K.Balachandran

COLOMBO: The alarming rise in crime in  Jaffna peninsula since Eelam War IV ended in 2009, is attributed to a variety of factors, but one of the principal causes appears to be the absence of Tamil-speakers, especially ethnic Tamils, in the local police force, says M. A.Sumanthiran, Jaffna  district MP and spokesman for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

Describing the situation  as being "very serious" , Sumanthiran said that unless Tamils are recruited at all levels, crime detection will continue to suffer grievously and result in further widening the "trust deficit" that has always existed between the Tamils and the powers-that- be in Colombo.

The trust deficit could be seen very clearly in the statement issued by the Bishop of Jaffna, Rev.Dr. Justin Gnanaprakasam, on the crime situation in the northern peninsula.

The Bishop wondered if the increasing  incidents of robberies and street violence involving gangs armed with axes, swords and machets, and the surge in youngmen taking to drugs and alcohol, reflect a "scheme" to destroy Tamil society and culture.

The Bishop was pointing an accusing finger at the Central government in Colombo and its agencies, the police and the armed forces, without naming them.

He was voicing a conspiracy theory popular among Tamils even after the draconian regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa was replaced by a liberal one headed by Maithripala Sirisena in January 2015.

Sumanthiran, however, does not go along with this anti-government conspiracy theory. He told Express that the root cause of the rise in crime is the near total absence of Tamils in the police force.

"Crime detection and prevention is impossible without familiarity with the local lingo.Recruitment of native speakers of Jaffna Tamil is therefore a must. Government is to induct 400 Tamils into the police and their training is over, but actual  induction has hit a hurdle.I met the Ministers of Law and Order and Justice to get it cleared at the earliest and they have promised to do so, " Sumanthiran said.

Meanwhile, the situation in Jaffna is deteriorating. A gang in Nallur recently tried to break into a house, but when the attempt failed, it senselessly attacked people on the street some of whom had to be hospitalised.

"To my knowledge there are eight or  nine areas in the peninsula in which such gangs operate.People do not come to the rescue of the victims for fear of being the next to be targeted," said CVK.Sivagnanam, Chairman of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC).

"The fact that these gangs are let off on bail easily, and they continue with their criminal activity while on bail, has given rise to suspicion of collusion between the police and the gangs," he added.

The Northern Province Chief Minister C.V, Wigneswaran and the Government Agent in Jaffna (Collector) N.Vedanayagan, have discussed the matter with the police top brass in Jaffna.The Bishop of Jaffna struck the right note in his statement when he called for active and widespread civil society participation in ensuring public security.

Judiciary to be moved against members skipping parliamentary sessions-UNP, SLFP owe an explanation to electorate – NMSJ

Sarath

By Shamindra Ferdinando-May 8, 2016, 9:50 pm 

Civil society organisations are planning to move the judiciary against elected members of parliament for repeatedly skipping parliamentary sessions.

 Convenor of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) Prof. Sarath Wijesooriya yesterday told The Island that civil society organisations had initiated discussions in the wake of the on-going controversy over the government’s failure to secure approval last Thursday (May 5) for a supplementary estimate for want of members at the time the vote was taken.

 Prof. Wijesooriya succeeded Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera, who spearheaded a political campaign for the formation of Yahapalana government.

 Prof. Wijesooriya of the Sinhala Department of the University of Colombo said those who had been maintained at the taxpayers’ expense couldn’t shirk their responsibilities. He said he had been shocked by the fact that 163 members out of 225 hadn’t been present at the time of last Thursday’s voting.

He said what the MPs had done amounted to a violation of the people’s fundamental rights and parliamentarians were certainly not above the law. 

The outspoken campaigner castigated the UNP and those SLFPers in the government for failing to ensure the participation of their members. They should be ashamed of neglecting their responsibilities, thereby failing to uphold the much touted good governance principles, he said.

 Asked to comment on the suspension of Palitha Thewarapperuma (UNP) and Upali Ranaweera (UPFA/MR faction) for exchanging blows in Parliament Prof. Wijesooriya said: "They would gladly accept the ruling. In fact, such decisions will only encourage violence." 

Prof. Wijesooriya said that suspending members for a week was a big joke. Deeply disappointed he had inquired from Speaker Karu Jayasuriya failure on the part of Parliament to deal with Thewarapperuma and Ranaweera. Prof. Wijesooriya quoted Speaker Jayasuriya as having told him that members had been dealt with in accordance with the Standing Orders.  

Speaker Jayasuriya imposed one week suspension on a recommendation made by a committee headed by Deputy Speaker Tilanga Jayasuriya.

 Prof. Wijesooriya said that if Speaker Jayasooriya felt that existing Standing Orders weren’t adequate to rein in members, he should take immediate steps to amend them. The academic said that he couldn’t comprehend why the Standing Orders could not be amended urgently to deal with violence in Parliament.

The UNP-SLFP coalition should be ashamed of its failure to have required number of members to ensure the passage of supplementary estimate in spite of having over a two-thirds majority, Prof. Wijesooriya said.

AHRC TV: JUST ASIA, Episode 121

May 6, 2016

This week’s episode covers World Press Freedom Day, marked annually on May 3. Journalists are at risk in many Asian countries, facing either threats to their lives or legal repression. According to Reporters without Borders’ 2016 World Press Freedom Index, the media freedom situation has worsened significantly or stagnated in the region. The majority of Asian countries rank in the bottom 40 of the World Press Freedom Index.

In Nepal, the eve of World Press Freedom Day saw the arrest of Robert Penner, a Canadian national working at an IT company in Nepal, for allegedly inciting disharmony and jeopardizing national integrity through social media. His employment visa was revoked, and Penner was ordered to leave the country within two days. Just Asia caught up with Rajendra Maharjan, Editor of the eSamata online, to learn his opinion on the status of freedom of expression in Nepal.

Thailand saw Prime Minister Prayuth Cha-o-cha tell senior reporter Yuwadee Thanyasiri to ‘watch herself’ on Press Freedom Day. Within two years, Thailand’s military junta has placed significant restrictions on freedom of speech and press, issuing broad orders prohibiting criticism of its actions, closing media outlets, blocking access to internet sites, and summoning members of the media for questioning and “attitude adjustment.”

Pakistan ranks as the fourth most dangerous country in the world for journalists, according to an International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) report. Journalists in the country continue to face threats, attacks and killings by State as well as non-State actors. The State’s failure in prosecuting those responsible leads to a culture of impunity.

In India, Urmila Pullat speaks to journalist Malini Subramaniam to get her views on press freedom in the country. Ms. Subramaniam has worked in one of the most sensitive and challenging parts of India, violence affected Chattisgarh, reporting on human rights abuses in the region.

Although Sri Lanka has moved up 24 positions in the World Press Freedom Index, it is still lowly ranked at 141 out of 180 countries. Despite promises of good governance and media freedom by the new government, so far no serious investigations have been conducted into the abductions, harassment, and killings of several journalists that took place during the past regime.

Although Indonesia has seen a significant improvement in press freedom since President Soeharto stepped down in 1998, there are no laws to protect journalists. According to the Independent Journalist Alliance (AJI), 50 cases of murder, violence, intimidation and forced dissolution of events organized by journalists annually over the past 10 years. Just Asia speaks to journalist Mr. Tomy and public defender Mr. Ade Wahyudin for their views.

The bulletin can be watched online at www.alrc.asia/justasia and AHRC TV YouTube. We welcome both human rights feeds to be considered for weekly news bulletin, and your suggestions to improve our news channel. Please write tonews@ahrc.asia. You can also watch our Weekly Roundup on Facebook.

Evil fallouts of ragging - 20 dead ; 27000 abandon studies : Administrators asleep at the wheel : JVP and Peratugami responsible

(Lanka-e-News- 09.May.2016, 10.00PM) In present Sri Lanka , politics has crept into all the Universities. Each of these political groups has made ragging as their basic weapon  to boost their   leverage and power over the other group. Since ragging has been going on for generations , it has become entrenched and turned into a cancerous growth afflicting the University structure. As soon as  newcomers (freshers) enter the University those already in the Universities  become  seniors (males and females) . From that point of time , the seniors begin giving dastardly orders displaying their pride and forcing  the freshers to heed them. Thereafter  the tormentors start the ragging .Behind this ragging torture and torment are the JVP and Peratugamis , and these students who rag have been made the tools in the hands of those political parties.

The freshers are forced  to dress according to the desires of these tormentors. If the fresher is a male he must completely cut off his hair on the head like a servile lackey. If the fresher is a female  she must have her hair tied together and separated in two, wear rubber slippers , and a pair of earrings only can be worn as jewelry ,and nothing else.

This mad mania  was well illustrated when a fresher attended classes at Kelaniya University wearing jeans  a few days ago when the seniors (males and females)  tried to remove her jeans . Those freshers who do not condescend  are subjected to the worst torture, which aggravates step by step via diverse torture  methods.
   
These methods include making the freshers to move on their knees  , assaulting  and  urinating on them . All these are forcibly carried out  by the seniors , based on reports. These are demented  individuals who owing to their frustration and eccentricity  cannot stand to see civilized disciplined and decent  society. They  therefore  grudge them . These are seniors with inordinate sadistic desires and therefore  are truly insane.

In the belief , where  there is prosperity there is the deity, the  students go to Universities with the mental frame to show great diligence and application to their studies ,  but unfortunately realization dawns on them sooner than later  , it is but a place dominated by   demons of death  .  In the end , the final outcome is : the student who entered the University with  high hopes and full of optimism abandons the University education mid way.

According to statistics , owing to ragging ,  about 27000 students had abandoned their University studies , and about  20 students had paid with their lives .The number of students who became invalids , mentally ill  and crippled are also countless. Ravilal Wimaladharma a  popular artiste and lecturer , the father of Yashodha Wimaladharma fell ill and died because of the torture and torment inflicted on his daughter . There are so many such parents , which number had not been counted.

This is a most dire, dangerous and pathetic situation in Sri Lanka .Apparently , the  whole country is tied up in knots before this issue despite the fact we are disgraced beyond measure before the world. In the Universities  of decent civilized countries , it is the senior students who take care of the worries and woes of the freshers . This type of brutal and barbaric behavior of the seniors are never even heard in those countries. They do not know what this so called ragging is , and they absolutely frown upon this ‘syndrome’  -  a creation of mentally sick and sadistic immature scoundrels. In other civilized countries the seniors do a yeoman service as mentors instead of inflicting torture on the freshers.

It is these seniors (mentors) aforementioned in those foreign Universities who stand by the freshers in their weal and woe : they  ensure that the freshers  get their meals duly , medicines if they fall sick , and attend to their needs. The University  administration board  itself appoints these mentors . Fortunately among them there are no tormentors and torturers like in Sri Lanka. When the Universities of the world are maintaining discipline , decency and civilized behavior among their students ,  it is natural for the world  to look down on us  when seniors  of our Universities behave this degradingly , disgracefully and unashamedly displaying barbaric, sadistic  and inhumane qualities without let or hindrance.

Based on a survey conducted by us , it is the Universities of Peradeniya , Kelaniya and Sabaragamuwa that are leading in this brutal and barbaric ragging . Last year following the ragging at Sabaragamuwa University , a female student committed suicide. At the Peradeniya University too , because of the unbearable sufferings inflicted through ragging several  students of the engineering faculty left the University . They are now following the courses in private Universities. According to reports reaching us , at the Katunayake engineering technology Institute ragging is being carried out most viciously and venomously.

In any event in Sri Lanka ragging is banned legally.  Based on the ragging Act , even those who aid and abet such action , as well as those who are associated with it in any way are liable  to punishment. They can even be sentenced to jail. Despite this background ,  allowing this deplorable and abominable ragging to continue without creating an environment for the students to pursue their studies peacefully and freely after they enter the Universities  is  a serious situation worthy of condemnation by all. The administrative authorities of the Universities must hold themselves responsible for this grave situation.

Even now while the JVP and the Peratugamis are wielding power over the students in the Universities , 20 students died , and 27000 students abandoned their University studies.  It can be imagined  what calamitous and chaotic situation will prevail in the country if they wield power over the entire  country. 

Recently , the P.M. said , new rules and regulations shall  be introduced against ragging.  It is hoped those rules and regulations will become a reality soon without being  shoved into the limbo of forgotten things . 

By a  Medical student M.L.H. Ambepitiya 

Translated by Jeff

 (Herein are a number of posters  opposing ragging)

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by     (2016-05-09 17:09:46)

Promises Made, Promises Kept – The First Instalment!

By Emil van der Poorten –May 8, 2016

Emil van der Poorten

I have, often, been accused of pillorying the current government and not giving it time to live up to the promises made at the time it was seeking to be elected to run this country.

Well, here’s an acknowledgement of the efforts of one MP (and Cabinet Minister) Mr. Haleem who appears to have begun living up to at least one of his promises.

I am submitting three photographs with this piece which I hope the editors will publish together with the script because I believe in the old adage about “a picture speaking a thousand words!”

Just prior to the last general election in January 2015 the “locals,” myself included, organized a “Pocket meeting” to greet the UNP candidate for the area who was already a sitting member of the legislature and of cabinet rank. Mr. Haleem was, I was told, the nephew of an UNP stalwart of another generation, Mr.A.C.S. Hameed, the perhaps-unjustifiably pilloried Minister of Foreign Affairs in the J. R. Jayewardene cabinet whose initials – “A.C.S” – allegedly stood for All Countries Seen!”

Community activist, Thompson Banda, with the bulldozer operators – May 5th 2016

Minister Haleem in conversation with residents requiring road access

In any event, the politico and his minions, I am sure, did not expect the active participation of the audience in the discussion that followed Minister Haleem’s speech. What we heard that afternoon could have been described as a litany of woes, stemming from lack of road access to a large number of families. Having encouraged the “locals” to voice their complaints to the candidate, it was an absolute pleasure to see them do so with only the level of constraint that kept the language used within the bounds of decency! Children having to walk three miles each way to kindergarten was but one of the complaints made, with lack of access to emergency medical assistance and other serious problems also being emphasized. I don’t think the candidate had any previous experience of that level of participation by local folk in what ended up being a forum for serious local issues, not, simply yet another mutual admiration society in action! It was crystal clear that the access issue needed to be addressed first and without further delay. Those of us who were somewhat skeptical about initiating and/or assisting this primary community action were being proved dead wrong! And I, for one, after more years than I care to recount as a community organizer and activist was, as that old saying goes, “pleased as Punch!”

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